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NFETERS, PHOTO-LITNOGRAFHER, WASHINGTON a c Patented Nov. 23, 1880..

simmm gm UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES KEARUHER AND STEPHEN H. EDGETT, OF ORANGE, N. J.

HAT-FINISHING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 234,783, dated November 23, 1880. Application filed October 21, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, CHARLES KEARCHER and STEPHEN H. EDGETT, citizens of the United States, residingat Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hat- .Finishing Machines, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention consists in the combination, in a hat-finishing machine, of ahat-block-supporting platform mounted on a rotary shaft, two jaws which extend through said platform and are constructed to grasp a lug on the bottom of the hat-block, and mechanism for closin g said jaws, so that when the jaws are closed the block is firmly retained on the platform and compelled to rotate with the same; further, in the combination, with the block-supporting platform and with the jaws for retaining the hat-block on said platform,of a smoothing-iron which swings in a suitable support, a

weight or spring to force the support toward the hat-block, and mechanism to impart to said support an automatic upward motion, so that when a hat is placed on the block the smoothing-iron is pressed against the surface of the hat and caused to travel automatically over the same also, in the combination, with the block-supporting platform, the jaws for clamping the hat-block on said platform, and the smoothing-iron hung in an automaticallyrising support, of mechanism for changing the speed of the rotating platform. The rising motion of the support for the smoothing-iron is produced by the action of a worm and worm wheel on a crank.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a sectional side view, the plane of section being indicated by the line 00 .12, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a transverse section in the plane 3 3 Fig. 1.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

In these drawings the letter A designates a table or frame which supports the working parts of my machine. In the top of this table is an opening, a, through which extends a vertical shaft, B, which has its bearings in traverses b c, and to which a revolving motion is imparted by suitable mechanism, as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

0n the upper end of said shaft is firmly mounted a platform, 0, which is intended to support the hat-block D. This hat-block is provided on its bottom with a recess, d, and a lug, c, and through the platform 0 extend two clamping-jaws, E E, which are constructed to engage with the lug c, and to retain the hatblock firmly in position on the platform 0. The jaws E bear against a cone-sleeve, F, which is fitted loosely on the shaft B, and can be moved up or down thereon by means of a forked hand-lever, G. Then the outer end of this hand-lever is depressed the cone-sleeve is moved up and the jaws E E are caused to close up. A serrated rack, 9, serves to retain the hand-lever in the required position.

The shaft B receives its motion from a driving-shaft, H, on one end of which is mounted a bevel-wheel, I, while on its other end is mounted a cogwheel, J. This cog-wheel gears in another cog-wheel, K, mounted on a countor-shaft, L, which carries a bevel-wheel, M, on its end near to the shaft B. On this shaft is feathered a clutch composed of two bevelwheels, 1* M*, and provided with a grooved hub, N, with which engages the clutch-lever O, that is operated by a vertical slide-rod, I. If this slide-rod is raised the clutch-wheel 1* is thrown in gear with the bevel-wheel I on the driving-shaft, and if the slide-rod P is depressed the clutch-wheel M* is thrown in gear with the bevel-wheel M on the counter-shaft L. The object of this double driving mechanism is to enable the workman to impart to the shaft B and to the hat-block different speeds, and to effect this purpose the cog-wheels J K and the bevel-wheels 11* M M* are so proportioned that when the bevel-wheels I I are thrown in gear the motion of the shaft B is comparatively slow, and when the bevelwheels M-M* are thrown in gear the speed of the shaft B is considerably increased.

Q is the smoothing-iron, which is fastened on pivots It, secured in a support, R, which, in the example shown in the drawings, consists of two curved rods, t, and a traverse, j, which is fitted on vertical guide-rods k and pivoted to a pitman-rod, l, which extends from a crank, m. From the traverse j extends arod, n, which is subjected to the action of a spring or weight, 0, that has atendency to throw the support R,

together with the smoothing-iron, inward toward'the hat secured on the hat-block D.

The crank m is mounted on the end of a shaft, 19, which has its hearings in the lower portion of the frame A, and on which is mounted a worm-wheel, q. The shaft 1) slides in its bearings, and its position is governed by a slide-rod, r, and a lever, s, Fig. 2. When the slide-rod 1' is drawn out the worm-wheel q is thrown in gear with a worm, t, mounted on a vertical shaft, a, which receives a revolving motion from the shaft B. By the action of the worm t and the worm-wheel q a slow revolving motion is imparted to the shaft 1 5 p, and the support R, together with the smoothlug-iron, is slowly raised, while the face of the smoothing-iron is held in contact with the crown of the hat by the weight 0. When the smoothing-iron reaches the tip of the hat the workman has to take hold of the lever c, which is fastened to the swivel-support of the smoothing-iron, and therebyhe is enabled to keep the face of said iron in contact with the surface of the hat-tip. When the iron has passed over the entire surface of the crown the slide-rod r is pushed in, the worm-wheel q is thrown out of gear with the worm t, and the smoothingiron, together with its support, can be depressed toits original position.

The form of the smoothingiron may be changed, and for the purpose of finishing the brim as well as the crown of a hat we propose to use an iron of the form shown in Fig. 2.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, in a hat-finishing machine, of a hat -block supporting platform mounted on a rotary shaft, two jaws which extend through said platform and are constructed to grasp a lug on the bottom of the hat-block, and mechanism for closing said jaws, all constructed to operate substantially as and for the purposc'described.

2. The combination, with the hat-block-supporting platform mounted on a rotary shaft, and with clamping-jaws constructed to retain the hat-block on said platform, of a smoothingiron which swings in a suitable support, a weight or spring to force the support toward the hat-block, and mechanism to impart to said support an automatic upward motion, all constructed to operate substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination, with a hat-block-supporting platform mounted on a rotary shaft, clamping-jaws constructed to retain the hatblock on said platform, and a smoothing-iron hung in an automatically-rising support, of mechanism for changing the speed of the rotating platform, all constructed substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with a hat-block-supporting platform mounted on a rotary shaft, clamping-jaws constructed to retain the hat block on said platform, and mechanism for giving motion to the rotating platform, of a support for the smoothing-iron constructed of a traverse, j, and rods 11, a crank, m, connected to said traverse, and a worm and worm-wheel for imparting to said crank the required motion, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands and seals in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHAS. KEAROHER. [L. s.] STEPHEN H. EDGETT. [L. s.]

Witnesses:

J. HERMANN WAHLERs, E. F. KASTENI-IUBER. 

